Chapter 3 Vocab

Question 1

ad hominem

Answer 1

latin for “against the man,” this fallacy refers to the specific diversionary tactic of switching the argument from the issue at hand to the character of the other speaker

Question 2

ad populum (bandwagon appeal)

Answer 2

this fallacy occurs when evidence boils down to “everybody’s doing it, so it must be a good thing to do”

Question 3

appeal to false authority

Answer 3

this fallacy occurs when someone who has no expertise to speak on an issue is cited as an authority

Question 4

argument

Answer 4

a process of reasoned inquiry; a persuasive discourse resulting in a coherent and considered movement from a claim to a conclusion

Question 5

backing

Answer 5

in the Toulmin model, __________ consists of further assurances or data without which the assumption lacks authority

Question 6

begging the question

Answer 6

a fallacy in which a claim is based on evidence or support
that is in doubt. It “begs” a question whether the support itself is sound

Question 7

circular reasoning

Answer 7

a fallacy in which the writer repeats the claim as a way to
provide evidence

Question 8

claim

Answer 8

also called an assertion or a proposition, it states the argument’s main idea or position. A claim differs from a topic or subject in that it has to be arguable

Question 9

claim of fact

Answer 9

asserts that something is true or not true

Question 10

claim of policy

Answer 10

proposes a change

Question 11

claim of value

Answer 11

value argues that something is good or bad, right or
wrong

Question 12

classical oration

Answer 12

five-part argument structure used by classical rhetoricians

Question 13

introduction (exordium)

Answer 13

introduces the reader to the subject under discussion

Question 14

narration (narratio)

Answer 14

provides factual information and background material on the subject at hand or establishes why the subject is a problem that needs addressing

Question 15

confirmation (confirmatio)

Answer 15

usually the major part of the text, the ___________ includes the proof needed to make the writer’s case

Question 16

refutation (refutatio)

Answer 16

addresses the counterargument. It is a bridge between the writer’s proof and conclusion

Question 17

conclusion (peroratio)

Answer 17

brings the essay to a satisfying close

Question 18

closed thesis

Answer 18

a statement of the main idea of the argument that also previews the major points the writer intends to make

Question 19

deduction

Answer 19

logical process whereby one reaches a conclusion by
starting with a general principle or universal truth (a major premise) and applying it to a specific case (a minor premise)

Question 20

either/or (false dilemma)

Answer 20

a fallacy in which the speaker presents two extreme
options as the only possible choices

Question 21

faulty analogy

Answer 21

occurs when an analogy compares two things that are
not comparable

Question 22

first-hand evidence

Answer 22

based on something the writer knows, whether it’s from personal experience, observations, or general knowledge of events

Question 23

hasty generalization

Answer 23

a fallacy in which a faulty conclusion is reached because
of inadequate evidence

Question 24

induction

Answer 24

“to lead into”; a logical process whereby the writer reasons from particulars to universals, using specific cases in order to
draw a conclusion, which is also called a generalization

Question 25

logical fallacy

Answer 25

potential vulnerabilities or weaknesses in an argument. They often arise from a failure to make a logical connection between the claim and the evidence used to support it

Question 26

open thesis

Answer 26

does not list all the points the writer intends to cover in an essay.

Question 27

post hoc ergo propter hoc

Answer 27

this fallacy is Latin for “after which therefore because of which,” meaning that it is incorrect to always claim that something is a cause just because it happened earlier. One may loosely summarize this fallacy by saying that correlation does not imply causation

Question 28

qualifier

Answer 28

in the Toulmin model, the _______ uses words like usually, probably, maybe, in most cases, and most likely to temper the claim, making it less absolute

Question 29

quantitative evidence

Answer 29

includes things that can be measured, cited, counted, or otherwise represented in numbers for instance, statistics, surveys, polls, census information

Question 30

rebuttal

Answer 30

gives voice to possible objections

Question 31

reservation

Answer 31

explains the terms and conditions necessitated by the qualifier

Question 32

rogerian arguments

Answer 32

developed by psychiatrist Carl Rogers, __________ are based on the assumption that having a full understanding of an opposing position is essential to responding to it persuasively and refuting it in a way that is accommodating rather than alienating

Question 33

second-hand evidence

Answer 33

accessed through research, reading, and investigation. It includes factual and historical information, expert opinion, and quantitative data

Question 34

straw man

Answer 34

a fallacy that occurs when a speaker chooses a deliberately poor or oversimplified example in order to ridicule and refute an idea

Question 35

syllogism

Answer 35

a logical structure that uses the major premise and minor premise to reach a necessary conclusion

Question 36

toulmin model

Answer 36

an approach to analyzing and constructing arguments created by British philosopher Stephen Toulmin in his book The Uses of Argument (1958). The Toulmin model can be stated as a template: Because (evidence as support), therefore (claim), since (warrant or assumption), on account of (backing), unless (reservation)

Question 37

warrant

Answer 37

expresses the assumption necessarily shared by the speaker and the audience